Intro -hi, notice that this list deals only with things you can know/anticipate at the beginning of a project, I've been finding it challenging not to mix questions from later phases of the project together with the ones a team needs to deal with right away. Maybe an equivalent list can be made for mid and post-project assessments(simeon)

This is the tidy and bare-bones version of the initial questions framework from the 2012-13 GRAND Assessment Framework . The framework starts with the assumption that the group research project involves practical game design, and continues by attempting to ask the most significant over-arching questions.

Stakeholders

Who are the current or potential stakeholders in this project?

ethical

financial

institutional

personal

Expectations

What are the minimum commitments to be met for this project to be considered practical, ethical, and academic research from the perspective of external sponsoring stakeholders?

What needs to be documented?

What needs to be practically implemented?

What deadlines need to be met?

What ethical standard does the sponsoring stakeholder expect the project to adhere to?

What are the expectations of the project group's formal or informal contracts?

how are contractual obligations decided? (via informal honor system?)

who can be involved in the project?

how can work contributed to the project be used?

what kinds of agreements can be made on behalf of the group?

how are decisions about using resources made?

what resources are group members expected to pay for themselves?

how are research goals set or methods decided on?

how are conflicts about decisions resolved?

how are timelines decided/updated?

what are some shared values/goals of the group?

Resources

known resources

What is the amount of time allotted for completion?

What is the total budget?

How many team members are there?

How many hours can team members contribute within the allotted time?

What skills do group members already have?

What methods are known and available (is there other work in this area)?

What technology does the group already own?

How often can the group meet?

What amenities does the group have access to (e.g. a campus for testing)

What digital communication tools will the group be able to use?

What partnerships are available?

potential changes

What time might be gained/lost?

What team member hours might be gained/lost?

What skills might be gained/not used?

What tools might be purchased/need replacing?

what partnerships might be gained/lost?

What social capital could be called in/lost?

what new demands might sponsoring stakeholders make?

what changes to ethical conditions might effect access to resources?

contingencies

What alternate resources can be identified?
How often do re-assessments get made?